This invention relates to torsion-resistant vehicle underbodies having a four-sided support arrangement.
French Patent No. 667,735 discloses a vehicle underbody having a four-sided supporting arrangement in the form of a square in which two further supports extend generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle but slightly inclined on each side thereof and are directly connected with the four-sided supporting arrangement at their crossing points with the latter. The corners of the four-sided supporting arrangement in turn are connected with a surrounding square supporting arrangement.
Other prior art, such as Swiss Patent No. 219,541 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,254,497, disclose supporting arrangements having two supports running diagonally with respect to one another, which constitute cross-like supporting arrangements. These cross-like supporting arrangements are disposed within surrounding curved or rectangular supporting arrangements.
Although such conventional vehicle underbodies have a relatively high torsional and thrust rigidity, it is insufficient in many cases, especially in a convertible, in which bracing by a rigid roof is absent.